Fertilizer and process of producing same.



AND. .AND 'WLLLIAM H. TEAR'E. OF AKIZWOOD, OHIO; SAL

THIRD F KHS B1G-HT,

CO'Wll-L, OF TOT-EDC). OHIO.

AND SAD 'IEBE ASSIGNOR GF FERTIL AND PBGCIISS OF RDDUCING SAME.

sponge. indu. tha this wh.

luully 'Speccatou of Letters Tatent.

ntmmd Dec.. i5, 191 Ll.

Serial No. 823.573.

is absolutely dry, it is not suiiiciently susceptible to the chemical changes in the soil 'which are necessary to its absorption by the living plants.

If the heating and drying process cannot be initiated very shortly after the product is removed from the sea, the antiseptic chemical treatment is resorted to as previously stated. This consists in subjecting the material to an inexpensive antiseptic chemical,

such as sulfurous acid gas, or to the gas produced from burningsulfur or sulids. We find that this treatment temporarily retards putrefaction witiout interfering in any Way with the subsequent steps of the process, or affecting the quality or efiiciency of the product.

After the material has been dried to a denite moisture content of six per cent. or less, the now dried material is ground to a definite state of granulation or fineness,` that is to a mixture of lines and coarse, which experience has shown to have peculiur advantage from an agricultural stand point. lVe have found that certain proportidns of line and coarse in admixture were necessariT to secure the best results in the soils which it is particularly desired to .ameliorate, this being the porous sandy soils found in certain portions of this country, particularly in Florida and other sections of the South. The specific objects in View in thus producing a statedf. definite granula- 3 tion are first, retention of moisture accomplished by the presence of the larger grains;

second,-ra.pid decomposition accomplished by the presence of the smaller grains; and third-of avoiding danger of a considerable percentage of the material being carried through the interstices of the soil, and thus completely lost before being subjected to the chemical processes preceding plant absorption.

The proportion of different size granules which We have found peculiarly advantageous from the standpoint of moisture retention` resistance to leeching by rains, and promotion of soil activity are set forth below, it being assumed that the material is screened through the various sieves mentioned, usingl the sieves in the order named. All material to pass through a. sieve With openings l inch square: 20 to 95 per cent. to romain on a` sieve square, Q0 to Q5 per cent. to remain on a sieve with openings fr inch square, 20 to per centY to remain on a sieve having' 80,

square meshes to the lineal inch. All the remainder to pass through a sieve having 30 square meshes to the lineal inch. This results iii a finished product which can be sal-olv shipped and stored. and is directly available, first. for soil enrichment; secadmixture with other materials ond ifo i haviiuT fertilizer value makin@ a mixed a i D With openings l inch fr i mamas per cent., potash in organic combination (X20) to 1 per ceiitqrmoisture A: to 6 per cent.

For the production of the acidulated s-*aai riety, the dried and ground material described above may lic used as the raw inaterial, although for acidulating, it is not necessary to use material of a. definitemoisture content, or a definite grade of iineness, g5 as before described. For making the aciduf lated goods, all that is necessary is to have the sponge apparentl f dry to the touch, and crush down to a. fairly line powder. lt is then mixed with sulfuric acid inthe proporgo tion of -appro.'riniately 90 per cent. dried sponge, and approximately l0 per cent. stln furie acid. rlflie objects accomplished this mixing are the conversion of the i' bonate of linie present te sulfate of lL., which is lrnou'n to be more valuable in the soil, especially under certain conditions; the

conversion of the sodium chlorid iresent to sodium sulfate, as some soils alrea y contain an excess of the former; the conversion of the phosphoric acid present from the insoluble to the soluble variety; the conversion of the nitrogen present to ammonium suifate; and finally the breaking down of the cellulose. so that the recesses of decay in the soil and ultimate a sorption hy the plant may be assisted. The acidulated product so produced is better adapted to some soils re quiring rapid absorption, Whereas to some soils and to some conditions, the non-acidin lated product is productive of better results and is cheaper. f

The acidulated roduct or variety and tic process of producing the same constitute the subject matter of a divisional application filed by us on the 24th day of July, 1914 #852,865, entitled-fertilizer and process of producing the same.

aving thus described our invention, what We claim is l. A fertilizer material consisting of loggerhead sponge dried and,grranulated.

Q. A product of .manufacture consisting of logpcrhcad sponge dried to a definite moisture content and granulated. 125

3. product of manufacture for uses as av fertilizer consisting of loggerhead sponge dried to a moisture content of not more than six per cent. and granulated.

fl. An artici'e of manufacture Afor use as 13o a fertilizer or fertilizer material consisting fertilizing ingre of logger-head sponge, dried and ground to reducing the ma 11. A process 5. An article of manufacture for use as commercial fertilizer a fertilizer or fertilizer material consisting sponge w of loggerhead sponge dried and granulated to a mois to a definite admixture of sizes of particles. per cent., a

6. A process of producing a fertilizer to a state o from loggerhead sponge which comprises 12. A process for a definite state of granulation or ineness,

treating the sponge to prevent putrefaction cial fertilizer from r and spontaneous combustion, and granulatwhich comprises it is in a state of put 'l'.The process of treating loggerhead content o sponge which comprises preventing putrethence re faction and spontaneous combustion by of granulation. drying, and reducing the dried .product to 13. A p

` ial fertilizer hich comprise ing the material thus treated.

a state of granulatron. commerc 8. A process of prpducing a commercial spong Jfertilizer from raw lcggerhead sponge which so as comprises drying the sponge to a definite neous-combustion, moisture content and reducing the dried a moi product to a state of granulation. per cent.,

9. A method of producing a comercial state of fertilizer fron raw loggerhead sponge mixture -o which comprises subjecting the sponge to rang the action of a sterilizing chemical, thence 1n testimony w drying the material to a predetermined our signatures in moisture content, and then granulating the nesses.

material.

10. A method of producing a commercial fertilizer from raw logger-head sponge. Witnss? L. I. PORTER.

which comprises producing partial sterility of the material and concentration of the dients of the material terial to a gra for the pro hich comprises ture content of nd reducing re action, to a m er cent., and

ducing the dried pro ct to a state sture content o and reducin f granulations having a hereof, we her the presence of tw CARL A. BL WILLAM H and d state.

loggerhead drying the sponge not more than six the dried product for the production of e.

from raw loggerhea s treating the sponge faction and spente? rying the sponge to not more than six. g the product to a n addefinite eunto aix o wit 

